Electrode-holder for arc-welding



O. H. ESCHHOLZ ELECTRODE HOLDER FOR ARC WELDING; APPLICATION FILED' Nov. 24, 1919.

1,384,439. Patented July 12, 1921.

` Orf@ 'HEM/,da

UNITI-ED sTATEs PATENT' OFFICE.

orro n. EscHHoLz, or WrLxINsBUae, PENNSYLVANIA; Assmnnnracd 'WESTING- HOUSE ELECTRIC & MANUFACTURING CONTANTI, A CORPORTIN 0F PENNSYL- VANIA. ..4

ELEcnmoDE-HQLDER FOR ARC-WELDING.

1,384,439 i specification of Letters Parent.

application mea Nqvemter 24, 1919. seriaiNa 349,244.

To all lwhom it ma/ z/ concer/n.'

Be it known that I, O'rro H. EscHHoLz,

a citizen of the United States, and a resident of Wilkinsburg, inthe county of Allegheny vand State of Pennsylvania, have invented a` new and useful Improvement in Electrode- Holders for Arc-Welding, of which the folf lowing is a specification.

My invention relates to electrode holders forarc'w'plding and it has, for its primary object, the provision of electrode holders which shall facilitate overhead welding.

It is well known that overhead welding i can be done only by means ofl electrical systems, but such wel-ding is relatively diicult, even by means of electricalwelding systems.

On account of the somewhat awkward pop sition which the operator must'assume 1n doing overhead Welding, it is diffrcult for him to maintain a steady arc. Furthermore, although most of the metal is transferred across the are, some of the fused'inetal tends.l

to run down the electrode-and, if the operator is not careful, he may receive morel or lessfsevere burns.l v

One Object of my invention, therefore, re-

the arc in .doing overhead welding.

It frequently happens that an electrode freezes to the Work which makes it necessary for the operator to apply a sudden force thereto in order to release the electrode. Provision must, therefore, be made against forcibly withdrawing the electrode from the drawing 1t from the holden holder whenthe operator applies force to release it from the work to which it has become frozenf Another object of my invention, therefore', resides in the provision of an electrode holder which shall grip the electrode in such manner.that considerable force may be applied thereto without with- With these and other objectsfin view, .my invention willbe more l'fully described, illustrated in the drawings, in the several views of which corresponding numerals indicate like parts, and then particularly vpointed out in the claims. y

extends. The supporting Patented July 12, 1921.

electrode holder by providing a supporting member secured within a hollow handle provided with a shield, the supporting member being so constructed as to be adapted to support an electrode substantially in alinement wi'thitsv longitudinal axis. construction vof the electrode holder assures a minimum of weight and suilicient mechanica] y strength to particularly adapt it for overhead welding. The shield is so disposed between the electrode and the handle of the holder as to afford a maximum degree of protection for the operator.

In Fig. 1 is shown an electrode holder l comprislng a hollow handle 2, formed of any suitable insulating material, to which a shield 3, also of insulating material and provided with a central opening 4, is secured by meansI of screws ",5. A tubular supporting member 6, preferably formed of met-al, is extended'through the opening in the shield and is carried by the handle 2 into which it vided with an opening adjacent its free end, through which/the end of a gripping member 8 extends, the gripping member being pivotally mounted Within the support- -ing member 6 in such manner as to be adapted to firmly grip an electrode 9 disposed therein.

The particular l member 6 is pro- It will be apparent, from examination of the gripping member 8, that it is solformedy porting member 6, over the 10, which is secured to the handle 2 by of screws 11. One end of the cable 9 is securedwithin a metallic bushing 11, screwed into the shield 3, by a set screw 12. A suit'- able conductor 13 is secured, at one end, by a set screwT 141 Within the bushing 11 and is secured in engagement-with the supporting member 6, at its other end, by a clamping device 15.

In order to prepare for a Weldingl operation, the electrode 9 isinserted `into the supgripping member 8, which offers substantially no resistance to such movement of the electrode. The grippingmember may then be made to vtight y engage the electrode and force it into intlmate engagement with the supporting member 6 by drawing the portion extending through-the opening 7 toward the operator or the handle 2. The tool or holder 1 is now in readiness for operation, and the electrode may be fused and deposited upon the Work until the are approaches closely to the end of the supporting` member 6, When the electrode 9 may. be reed by applying pressure to the gripping member in the reverse di'- rection to that employed in forcin it into engagement with the electrode. he electrode may then be readily Withdrawn and another inserted.

In Fig. 2 is shown a/modfca-tion ofmy `invention lin which substantially the same construction is employedas shown in Fig. 1, with the exception. ofthe means for gripping vthe electrode within'the supportlng member 6. In thisl instance, a suitably shaped lever arm 16 is pivotally mounted upon the handle 2, as indicated at 17, and

extended through an opening 18provided in the shield 3., The lever arm 16 is provided, at its working end, with a roughened head 19 which extends through an opening' 20 in the top of the supporting member 6. Considerable pressure is maintained, by a' leaf spring 21, to force the head 19 through the opening 20- into engagement With an' electrode 9.. The manner of gripping the electrode 9 necessitates a slight change in the character of the supporting member 46, in that it may be made smaller in diameter and is provided With an opening adjacent the shield rather than near its free end.

The operation of the holder shown in Fig. 2, is obvious from the foregoing'description. The electrode 9 maybe disposed within the supporting member 6 by exerting a 'downward pressure upon the lever arm 16 above the spring 21, which causesthe working head 19 thereof to be Withdrawn from the supporting member 6. The electrode is then disposed Within the supporting member 6 and the lever arm 16 is released, there- .by causing the Working head 19 to firmly grip the electrode.

It will be appreciated, from the foregomeans ing description that my electrode holder is particularly simple in construction and, therefore, light in Weight. The light weight of the electrode holder is an advantage in that it facilitates manipulation and, as a result, it is less tiring to an operator to maintain an overhead arc. Furthermore, by providing means for so gripping the electrode that it is inV alinement with the axis of the holder, an operator may assume a more comfortable position While maintaining an arc overhead.

Although I have shown and specifically described a plurality of electrode holders which embody my invention, it is obvious that minor changes may be made in the construction thereof without departing from fthe spirit or scope of my invention, and `I desire, therefore, that no limitations shall be imposed except'such as are indicated in the alppended claims.

I c aim as my invention z 1. An electrode' holder comprising -a handle, a shield secured thereto, a tubular supporting member carried by the handle, and means 'for securing an electrode in the supporting member substantially in alinement with the axis thereof.

2. An electrode holder comprising a hol- 10W handle, a shield secured thereto, a tu- 95 member substantially in alinement with the axis thereof. V

3. Anelectrode holder comprisinga hollow handle, a shield secured thereto, a tubular supporting member disposed within,. and projectingA from,.the handle, and means, pivotally mounted on the supporting mem-` ber, for securing an electrode therein, substantially in alinement With-theaxis thereof.

4. An electrode holder comprising a hollow handle, a shield secured thereto, a tubular supporting member disposed within, and projecting from, the handle, and means, nivotally mounted on the handle, for securing an electrode in the supporting lmember substantially in alinement with the axis. thereof.

5. An electrode holder comprising a hollow handle, a shield secured thereto, a tubular supporting member carried by the' handle, a lever arm pivotally mounted on the handle and-adapted to engage an electrode disposed vWithin the supporting member, and means for maintaining the lever .arm 1n engagement with the electrode.

7 An electrode holder comprising a, han- (lle, a shield securedthereto, a supporting member carried by the handle, means for securing an electrode 'to the supporting d 5 member substantially in alinement with the axis thereof, means for supporting a conductor in substantially parallel relation to the handle, and means for electrically' connecting the conductorJ to lthe supporting member.

In testimony whereof, I have hereunto subscribed my name this 18th Iday of No-A vember, 1919.

oTTo H. EsoHHoLz. 

